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Describe something you received for free.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • What was it?
  • When and from whom did you receive it?
  • How did you feel?
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27 unique answers with expert feedback

Band >7

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One memorable item I received for free was a beautiful handcrafted leather wallet from a local artisan. I had visited a market during the traditional festival and while browsing through various stalls, the vendor offered me the wallet as a gift. Simply because I had admired his craftsmanship for quite some time. The wallet was not only practical but also exuded a sense of artistry with intricate stitching and a rich deep brown color. Furthermore, it was clear that a great deal of skill and attention to detail had gone into its creation. I felt incredibly grateful not just because of the quality of the gift but also it symbolized the kindness and generosity of the artisan. Nevertheless, what really stood out to me was the fact that the gift was given without any expectations of something in return, which made it even more meaningful. Receiving this thoughtful gift for free left a lasting impression on me as it reminded me that sometimes acts of kindness are not just driven by material value but by joy of giving. The experience also deepened my appreciation for the craftsmanship behind everyday objects. And how something as simple as a wallet can carry so much sentimental value. It made me reflect on how smallest gestures can have a profound impact not only on the recipient but also on the giver. Such experiences have shaped my perspective on life, teaching me to appreciate tangible rewards of kindness and human connection. It made me realize that true generosity is often expressed in most unexpected and heartwarming ways.

Follow up questions


How did receiving the wallet change your perspective on gifts?
Receiving the wallet made me realize that gifts don't always have to be materialistic. It highlighted the importance of kindness and the thought behind a gift, which can often mean more than its monetary value.

Have you ever given a gift without expecting anything in return?
Yes, I have given gifts without expecting anything back. I believe that the joy of giving can be very fulfilling. It’s a way to express appreciation and strengthen connections with others, just like the artisan did for me.

What do you think makes a gift truly special?
A truly special gift is one that comes from the heart and reflects the giver's thoughtfulness. It’s not about the price but the sentiment behind it. Personal touches and the story behind the gift can also add to its significance.

Band >7

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00:00

So, my elder brother, who lives in Ireland, came to India last year to visit us and he is quite older to me and he is a scientist, a crop scientist, so when he came to India he bought a few gifts for me. Among those gifts, one of the things that I liked the most was Fossil Smart Watch. So, I am a tech enthusiast and buying new tech gadgets and exploring the tech buzz and news and everything, I like to try new gadgets and technologies. So, getting that watch was very exciting for me. When he gave it to me, I felt amazing and I was super happy and joyful and I started, the moment I received it, I unpacked it and then I started checking out all the features it had and all the cool things it can do like setting alarms, playing music, counting steps, heartbeat. So, it was a very featureful gift and one of the most precious gadgets of mine and one of the most cherished things that I have received as a present from anyone in my whole life and I still wear it every day and it is an amazing watch and I love exploring it and I felt so happy when he gave that watch to me, even though it has been quite old now, like I have been using it regularly and wearing it daily on daily basis from past one year and due to wear and tear and all those things and there were some mishaps as well.

Follow up questions


What other gifts have you received that were meaningful to you?
I have received several meaningful gifts over the years, but one that stands out is a handmade scrapbook from my best friend. It contained memories of our friendship, photos, and little notes that made me feel cherished. It was a heartfelt gift that I will always treasure.

How do you feel about receiving gifts versus giving them?
I enjoy both receiving and giving gifts. Receiving gifts makes me feel appreciated and loved, while giving gifts allows me to express my feelings and show others that I care. I believe that the thought behind a gift is what truly matters, regardless of its monetary value.

Do you think people appreciate free gifts more than purchased ones?
I think it depends on the context. Free gifts often carry a sentimental value, especially if they come from loved ones. However, purchased gifts can also be appreciated if they reflect the recipient's interests. Ultimately, the thought and effort behind the gift matter most.

calendar icon

IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

location icon

Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

location icon

Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

location icon

Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

location icon

Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

location icon

CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

During my life received a different kinds of free gift, here I would like to talk about a gift I received on my last birthday, I vividly remember that each moments it was happen on my last birthday, that gift was provide with my husband for me, it was a iphone news series, it cost around 1 lakh, that day he was surprise me, moreover that day lot of surprise for me, my all family members came in my home and we make a delicious cuisine, I like the biryani that's why we make that cuisine, furthermore he provide that gift after cutting my cake, it was a wonderful day in my life, I felt joyful and surprise that time he provide that gift for me in a amazing box, first time I received this kinds of gift, it was a big and a lot of features available in that phone, that was I was surprised, it cost around 1 lakh, that phone bought in a popular

Follow up questions


How do you feel about receiving gifts on special occasions?
I feel that receiving gifts on special occasions adds a special touch to the celebration. It shows that people care and appreciate you. Gifts can create lasting memories and strengthen relationships, making the occasion even more meaningful.

What do you think is more important: the gift itself or the thought behind it?
I believe the thought behind the gift is more important than the gift itself. A thoughtful gift shows that the giver understands and values the recipient's preferences and feelings. It reflects the effort and care put into choosing something special.

Have you ever given a gift that was particularly meaningful to someone?
Yes, I once gave a handmade scrapbook to my best friend on her birthday. It contained memories and messages from our friends. Seeing her emotional reaction made me realize how meaningful a personalized gift can be, and it strengthened our friendship.

Band 6-7

00:00

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00:00

So, I bought something from Zepto, the hair rollers, for a function I was going to, actually a Christmas party, and I was expecting them to be a larger size, but they were not that large, and I asked them for a return, but they were not convinced that I was not getting a return or a refund, so I just tried my best to convince them, then I started at the start of the day, I actually talked to the 5 people, 5 people through the day, and at the end of the day, the 5th person was like, yeah, I'll give you your refund, and also you can keep the rollers, I was like, what? I actually didn't need the rollers, because I needed them in the particular size that I want, but they told that you can have it, the rollers have a nice gesture, and I actually loved it, like, it was a really nice gesture, and, yeah, so, however, no, I got the rollers for free, and I actually, they're not that bad, just not the size I wanted for the occasion. Thank you!

Follow up questions


How did you feel when you received the rollers for free?
I felt really surprised and grateful when I received the rollers for free. It was unexpected, especially after the hassle I went through to get my refund. The gesture made me appreciate the customer service more, even though I didn't need the rollers for the occasion.

Have you ever received anything else for free? What was it?
Yes, I once received a free sample of a skincare product at a beauty store. It was a small jar of moisturizer, and I was really happy to try it out without any cost. It encouraged me to explore more products from that brand.

Do you think receiving something for free changes your perception of a brand?
Absolutely! Receiving something for free can create a positive impression of a brand. It shows that they value their customers and are willing to go the extra mile. In my case, even though the rollers weren't the right size, the free gift made me feel appreciated as a customer.

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

So the gift was given by the special friend of mine. It was a gold ring, IDT, you know, the ring was shining very bright. It was very amazing after seeing that it was given on my birthday. The special gift from my, the best and the loving friend. I enjoyed with that and I've also got a Victoria's Secret perfume which is also given by that friend. So I enjoyed, I enjoyed the day. It was very special to me as it is very close to me, the gift. I usually wear it every day and every time on my hand.

Follow up questions


What does the gold ring symbolize for you?
The gold ring symbolizes our friendship and the special bond we share. Every time I wear it, I remember the love and thoughtfulness of my friend, making it more than just a piece of jewelry.

How do you feel when you receive gifts from friends?
Receiving gifts from friends makes me feel appreciated and loved. It shows that they care about me and value our friendship, which adds a lot of joy to my life.

Do you think it's important to give gifts to friends?
Yes, I believe giving gifts is important as it strengthens relationships. It’s a way to express gratitude and affection, making the bond between friends even more special.
Show all 27 answers

Cue 1:What was it?

  • Begin by clearly stating what the item or service was that you received for free.
  • Provide a brief description of its significance or usefulness to you.

Example

I received a beautiful handmade scarf from my grandmother. It was made from soft wool and had intricate patterns that reflected our cultural heritage.


Cue 2:When and from whom did you receive it?

  • Mention the occasion or event during which you received the item.
  • Specify who gave it to you and their relationship to you.

Example

I received the scarf last winter during my birthday celebration. My grandmother, who is very dear to me, gifted it to me as a surprise.


Cue 3:How did you feel?

  • Share your emotional response upon receiving the gift.
  • Explain why this feeling was significant to you.

Example

I felt incredibly touched and grateful when I received the scarf. It reminded me of the love and care my grandmother puts into everything she makes, making it even more special.


Conclusion

  • Summarize the importance of the gift in your life.
  • Reflect on how receiving this free item impacted your relationship with the giver.

Example

In conclusion, receiving the scarf from my grandmother not only warmed me physically during the cold months but also strengthened our bond. It serves as a constant reminder of her love and our family traditions.


Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.


Tips to answer this Cue Card

1: Giving Vague Answers

Avoid being too general or vague in your response. Specific details make your answer more engaging and memorable. Vague answers can lead to a lack of clarity.

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Tip

Include specific details about the item you received, such as its appearance, purpose, and significance to you.


2: Neglecting Emotional Impact

Failing to express your feelings can make your answer less impactful. Emotions help to connect with the listener and make your story more relatable.

bulb icon

Tip

Share how receiving the item made you feel at the moment and how it affects you now, using descriptive language.


Ignoring the Context

Not providing context about when and from whom you received the item can leave your answer feeling incomplete. Context adds depth to your story.

bulb icon

Tip

Clearly explain the situation surrounding the gift, including the occasion and the relationship with the giver.


calendar icon

IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

location icon

Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

location icon

Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

location icon

Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

location icon

Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

location icon

CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

All Answers

Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

So, I bought something from Zepto, the hair rollers, for a function I was going to, actually a Christmas party, and I was expecting them to be a larger size, but they were not that large, and I asked them for a return, but they were not convinced that I was not getting a return or a refund, so I just tried my best to convince them, then I started at the start of the day, I actually talked to the 5 people, 5 people through the day, and at the end of the day, the 5th person was like, yeah, I'll give you your refund, and also you can keep the rollers, I was like, what? I actually didn't need the rollers, because I needed them in the particular size that I want, but they told that you can have it, the rollers have a nice gesture, and I actually loved it, like, it was a really nice gesture, and, yeah, so, however, no, I got the rollers for free, and I actually, they're not that bad, just not the size I wanted for the occasion. Thank you!

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

The gift that I recently received for free was AirPods Pro 2. This gift was given to me by my sister. Recently last month, I went to Dubai as a tourist. Since Covid, this was my first travel outside India. We went to Dubai for 4 days. We planned accordingly, visiting the greatest tourist attractions in Dubai, visited Dubai Museum, Dubai Frame, Dubai Aquarium and so on. At the last day, we visited Atlantis. After the last day, we had 3 or 4 hours, so we tried visiting Gold Souk, which is a local market in Dubai. While visiting there, we were buying spices from Dubai. And suddenly, my sister gave me a present, which I was not expecting. It was AirPods Pro 2. Before visiting Dubai, I had told to my sister that my AirPods is not working and that I don't have a proper earset. But I didn't expect that she would give me AirPods Pro 2. This made me a bit emotional as my sister is not living with me. She has been married last year and is living far away, some 5000 miles away from my home, living in UK. After a very long time, we as a family travelled together. In the travel, the travel experience was really great and adding on to it, she gifted me AirPods Pro 2, which also elevated the experience even further. Today was a very special day of my life. With my family, I shared really nice moments and looking back at it, it really cherishes to feel over the day.

Band 6-7

00:00

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00:00

okay so it's not been long but recently I had been to a cafe local cafe so I went there with my friends and we ordered some french fries and a medium-sized pizza but when we received the order then we noticed that the french fries were not edible much so we asked for a refund but since it was a cafe and they were not allowed to give any refund instead they offered us they could help us utilize the money by you know giving some free pastries which we couldn't resist to say no so we got the free pastries chocolate flavor and a red velvet one those were really amazing and I was first doubting like whether it would be a good choice to have a free pastry but when we had that I immediately made up my mind and I was so much convinced that we took a good decision by taking those free pastries so yeah

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

There are not much things which I have received for free in the past but the few things which I received and the most important thing which I received was from my brother and it was a smart watch which was an Apple watch and my brother gave it to me on my last birthday which we celebrated in a restaurant in Murthal and we all celebrated it with my family and we all had a good day on that day. So my brother gave me a smart watch which was very nice and it had many different functions as it was of orange color and it had functions like artificial intelligence which will track your health like your blood pressure or any other sort of functions and one of the most important function which it carries was that if you were in any kind of emergency situation then it will call to the police or any sort of the contacts which will help you. So my brother gifted it to me because I lost my old smart watch so I was in need of a new watch therefore he knew that I want a smart watch therefore he gifted me that one. So I was very amazed and feeling very nice after getting a new watch as I got it from my brother so it was also very nice as I was not expecting to get a smart watch from my brother.

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

During my life received a different kinds of free gift, here I would like to talk about a gift I received on my last birthday, I vividly remember that each moments it was happen on my last birthday, that gift was provide with my husband for me, it was a iphone news series, it cost around 1 lakh, that day he was surprise me, moreover that day lot of surprise for me, my all family members came in my home and we make a delicious cuisine, I like the biryani that's why we make that cuisine, furthermore he provide that gift after cutting my cake, it was a wonderful day in my life, I felt joyful and surprise that time he provide that gift for me in a amazing box, first time I received this kinds of gift, it was a big and a lot of features available in that phone, that was I was surprised, it cost around 1 lakh, that phone bought in a popular

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

I received a gift from my friend, his name is Husna, he gifted me a pair of headphones which was around 7000 INR, which was costly around 7000 INR and it's quite heavy and expensive. I feel complete, when I got that headphones I was completely surprised and unexpected gift because anyhow Husna knows how headphones are very desired for me but when she gifted me it's completely unacceptable day because it's a very expensive one, right now in my headphones collection that's the dreamy headphones for me because it's cost very much but I can't afford it but anyhow Husna got to know that that particular headphones are how precious for me and she just gifted me, it's really awesome.

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

So the gift was given by the special friend of mine. It was a gold ring, IDT, you know, the ring was shining very bright. It was very amazing after seeing that it was given on my birthday. The special gift from my, the best and the loving friend. I enjoyed with that and I've also got a Victoria's Secret perfume which is also given by that friend. So I enjoyed, I enjoyed the day. It was very special to me as it is very close to me, the gift. I usually wear it every day and every time on my hand.

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

I have received a lot of things from a lot of people. So firstly my main gift what I received this year was on my birthday. My parents gifted me a diamond ring which was of half of a carat with platinum. The gift was wonderful and I loved the gift. That was the most expensive and most valuable gift which I have received in my life till date. So that made me very emotional.

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

A thing that I received as a gift, it was a phone that was given by my sister. I visit her home to spend quality time with her because she was married and after a long time we met with each other and after that me and my sister went to the market and suddenly she said to me that come with me and I will get a new phone. I just thought that it would be the phone she wants to buy for herself but when we came back to home she gave it to me and said that it is your own phone and I am not giving it to Aspera but it was for your good score that I got in my 12th standard and I felt very proud that I have such a sister like her that she cares about me and always take care of my goods that I really need and I felt very proud at that moment and I will be very thankful to her.

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

I received a gift from all my friends for my 19th birthday it was a sparkling white and it had white I received a white sneaker with pink stripes here and there from my friends for my 19th birthday it was incredibly special because I didn't have a sneaker I was telling one of my friends that I wanted one I wanted to buy one and it was so thoughtful that all of them planned to get such an expensive gift for me they collaborated with about 15 people and one of my friend took up on the initiative and collected money from those 15 people went online looked for the best rates and finally ordered a beautiful pair of white sneakers it was very comfortable it was it had a lot of cushioning on the sole of my feet and it had come with an accompaniment of which is a polish which we can use to clean the shoes and it came with a scrub which can also be used to clean the shoes there was another gift that they gave me along with the shoes it was it was a very fragrant perfume it had a fruity and a little bit of windy scent to it which made it very fragrant it was very pleasant and I loved both the gifts and I love my friends who who presented me with these gifts
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